Grave vault construction



March 13, 1951 o. c. wARRlcK I GRAVE VAULT CONSTRUCTION Filed Deo. 5l

INVENTOR ff MRR/CK.

el @Z Y 3 ism/.WNW m m fw@ .,W d E, nw uw 7. (Il 1. J 1| U M q u Ell! i u Patented Mar. 13, 1951 'UNITED STATES PATENT GRAVE VULl CONSTRUCTION Oliveri). warrickffrownsburgf, Ind., assigner-.to Albert f5. .Ruse .and Ruby G.- Ruse, both of Application December 31, 1949,Seria`l`No. 136,208

.present invention .islpeculiarlys applicable to :conerete vaults .which havea .certain minor degree of porosity and to metal vaults wherein the joint between vault base and cover may have localized weak points permitting ultimate entry of water and/or air into the vault.

The chief feature of the present invention resides in providing in a grave vault a water collecting well disposed in the lowest point thereof and providing in sucha well a water level control for successive applications of a relatively inert gas under pressure for eliminating such vacuum if any be created as aforesaid, and if none be so created, but Water accumulates in the vault due to vault leakage, such pressure applications will create in the vault a pressure level greater than that exteriorly of the vault, thus opposing further leakage into the vault.

Herein, there are disclosed several embodiments of apparatus capable of accomplishing the aforesaid object, but these, it is to be understood are not the only forms of system available.

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Fig. l is a top plan view of a grave vault em bodying the invention, certain dotted lines indicating a casket Within said vault.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l, and in the direction of the arrows showing one embodiment of the invention in elevation.

Fig. 3 is an elevational View, the well portion being shown in section, and of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a still further embodiment of the invention, the well being shown dotted.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a further modified form of well level control.

Fig. 6 is a sectionalview of astill furthermodiyfled form of well levelI control.

In Figs.. l and 2;, I0 -indic'ates'the tnproffafgrave vault. It .is disposed' upon andr -interIleSted :with

.a vaultlbase l2 having -atzone end a well 13316515- lposed at thelowestgpoint in the vault soalLwater `therein 'will drain to vsaid Well.

The base includes depending flange I4 .with upturnedfside Walls 15. Thisxisstozdipose fthe .top

edge lof the Abase .aboverthe bot. om .O thefglwe hole so that slight .water collectionain:saidfhole `will .not drain .into the base.

'Ille top lil has depending inner flange lgand an outwardly and downwardly directed skirt I1 forming groove I3 adapted to take a peripheral seal I9. The casket 29 rests upon cleats 2| in the base interior.

The vault base is provided with well I3 and water from body dehydration and/0r vault leakage collects in said well. This raises float 22 in said well carried by arm 23 pivoted at 24 upon bracket 25.

Disposed upon panel 26 are a plurality of sources of high pressure gas such as CO2 cartridges 21 having their plugged ends 28 disposed downwardly. Said lever arm 23 is provided with plug penetrators 29. These are disposed in spaced relation to ends 28 and as the well water level rises each in turn penetrates its adjacent end 28 or otherwise opens the cartridge to eiect gas releases. Thus, as the level rises successive pressure applications are effected. The purposes thereof have been set forth initially. Whenever desired or required the cartridges may be backed by springs 30. While but four units are shown, a greater or lesser number may be provided as desired or required.

Reference will now be had to Fig. 3. Herein the well 3l includes compartments 32 and the lowest compartment 32 when sufficiently lled overflows to the next compartment and so on- In each compartment is a float 33 carried by stem 34 slidable in bracket 35. The upper end 36 comprises the penetrator for the adjacent cartridge 31 discharge end 38. Successive compartment filling effects successive pressure releases. Y

Reference will now be had to Fig. 4. Herein single well 40 hasr disposed therein float 4I carried by stem 42 having one face formed as a rack 43 and slidable in bracket 44 on panel 45. Panel 45 mounts spaced bearings 46 which rotatably support crankshaft 41 mounting pinion 48 meshing with rack 43.

Disposed in member 4S on panel 45 are the penetrators having depending heads 5I successively engageable by crank portions 52 of said shaft. The panel 45 suitably supports cartridges 53 having discharge portions 54. Thus as oat 4i rises in Well 40, successive cranks 52 effect successive pressure releases.

In Fig. 5 there is illustrated a modification applicable to the structure shown in Fig. 4 by way of example. In said gure the well 55 includes a piston pan 56, carried by stem 51. A light spring 58 balances the weight. As Water accumulates in the well above the pan 56 it descends, being progressively opposed by the spring 58. lThe upper end of stem 51 may be of rack form such as shown at 42 in Fig. 4. Hence progressive accumulation of water progressively rotates the cam shaft aforesaid for selective cartridge release.

In Fig. 6 there is illustrated a form that is modied relative to that shown in Fig. 3. Herein at diierent levels in the well 6D is a Water soluble tie member 6l. Associated with each is a catch 62. Latch 63 on each member 64 is held by the catch 62. Members 64 are pivotally mounted at 65 and constrained upwardly by weights 66. When the catch is released by dissolution the lever raises the penetrating stem 6l comparable to stems 34 in Fig. 3. Thus at different water levels successive cartridges are released as before.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

I'he several modifications described herein as well as others which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all are considered to be Within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A grave vault system comprising in combination a well disposed at the lowest level of a sealed vault, means disposed in said well and responsive to the progressive collection of Water therein, a plurality of sources of gas pressure within the vault, and individual means for selectively releasing the pressurized gas from said sources and operable by said rst mentioned means upon predetermined Water collection in the well.

2. A grave vault system as dened by claim 1 wherein the rst mentioned means comprises a member disposed in the Well and arranged for water collection, and means yieldingly opposing lowering of that member incident to progressive accumulation of Water in the well.

OLIVER C. WARRICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,365,639 Branciforti Jan. 11, 1921 1,963,682 Scott June 19, 1934 

